Thanks to all the info and guidance I have received on here I completed my very first bike flip today! I started a thread a bit ago to show the results of the overhaul of a 1974 Raleigh Lady's Sport that I bought for my wife: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...rts?highlight=

Unfortunately she thought she needed more gears to ride with me on our greenways and neigborhood, so on to CL the bike went.

Got a text Friday from a young lady that lived downtown and wanted a bike to ride to work, so I met her today in a parking lot and let her check it out. After she got back from her test ride she was smiling from ear to ear and couldn't stop talking about how much she loved the bike and how great it rode. She offered me $25 less than asking price and I accepted, and I adjusted the seat for her, gave her some maintenance instructions, and told her that after she rode the bike for a bit to call me and I would give her a free tune it up and adjustment as necessary for her.

Got the bike for $30 from the junk shop, put another $45 in it with tires, tubes, cable, housing, and cleaning/overhaul materials. Spent a couple awesome Saturdays working on it with my sons in the driveway, and made over $100 profit, so I don't think I did too bad with my first flip!

The profit was nice, the satisfaction of the work I did was great, and knowing I saved a bike from the junk pile and got it to an owner that loved it is awesome, but I think the thing I enjoyed the most was seeing how much she loved the bike and how happy riding it made her. As she was leaving she thanked me for "doing such a great job on it" and then she added "this is gonna be my baby".

All in all a great experience, and I can't wait to get back to work and match another bike up with the perfect rider - I can already see this being VERY addicting.....